“These baskets are a small way to recognize our teachers, who put so much heart and energy into their students every single day,” said Yael Zelinger, JES Day School Liaison.

The visits quickly became about much more than delivering goodies. Each stop provided a window into the unique spirit and charm of the schools and opportunities to connect with principals, teachers, and staff.

At Beth Tfiloh, old friends warmly introduced new ones, and conversations quickly turned to meaningful projects. Rabbi Yehuda Oratz enthusiastically described his vision to integrate Chesed into every aspect of Beth Tfiloh school life so that it becomes second nature to every student. In line with that aspiration, Mrs. Beth Goldstein requested to brainstorm ideas for their new disability awareness program this fall through B’More Inclusive.

The visit to Bais Yaakov Elementary coincided with a fire drill—an impressive scene of absolute silence as students filed out in neat rows. Within minutes, the building was buzzing again, as if nothing had happened. Rabbi Yochanan Stein offered a warm welcome and discussed JES’s contributions to the upcoming Association of Jewish Day Schools Melave Malka in November.

Two teachers, their heads hovering together over some papers, were eagerly reviewing a lesson plan in the Bais Yaakov Middle School teacher’s lounge, radiating shared purpose. Rabbi Moshe Frohlich manages to be everywhere, despite the school spanning two buildings, but he serendipitously appeared outside the teachers’ lounge at the right moment. In a brief conversation the active principal shared his eagerness for many of his new teachers to join the JES New Teacher Cohort. Further down the hallway, Mrs. Rochelle Goldberg was delighted to hear she had won JES’s “Teacher Feature” raffle—earning a $100 Amazon gift card for sharing a helpful teaching tip.

Mrs. Miriam Rosen at Ohr Chadash Academy graciously greets and directs each visitor. The warmth of the school carries over into the welcome received by this year’s shinshinim, Talya and Nogah. If you want to invite them for a meal, do it soon because they are not only welcomed into the school, but their weekend calendar quickly fills up with invitations from the OCA families!

Upon entering Bnos Yisroel, the secretary always provides a warm welcome and kind assistance.  A recent graduate of the Jewish New Teacher Project (JNTP), a two-year mentoring program through JES, spoke enthusiastically about mentoring new teachers, including her daughter. Another longtime friend shared her excitement about returning to the classroom after more than a decade at home.

Small moments highlighted the school’s warmth at Cheder Chabad. As a family of girls piled in, the friendly secretary knew every girl’s name, grade and teacher - and the missing sister’s name, too!  This kindness was evident too during JES’ professional development workshop in the Cheder, where teachers shared freely with one another.

At Ateres, the new girls’ school, Mrs. Rochel Froehlich personally led a tour of their cozy facility. Giggles and songs wafted through the hallways as Mrs. Froehlich gratefully described the stalwart support they received from the community in getting ready for the school year.

Hanging out in the spacious, well-stocked teachers’ lounge at Krieger Schechter provided an opportunity to meet teachers who were truly happy to be working there. One teacher came all the way from Israel for the year to lead the school’s musical production of Frozen in Hebrew. Meanwhile, another teacher took advantage of the opportunity to submit a question to the JES Teacher Helpline about supporting a student with unique learning needs.

For Yael Zelinger, the visit to Talmudical Academy felt like coming home. “My fourth son is in 11th grade at TA, my husband has been teaching there for over two decades—and I still don’t know my way around the building!” she laughed. Staff shared their visions for professional development and scanned the QR code to enter JES’s Teacher Feature raffle drawing each month.

At Tashbar, Rabbi Meir Khaver welcomed JES with a full tour of the school’s new building. The halls rang with energy. Just weeks earlier, the school did not have a building, making the new space feel especially gratifying. Stopping into the classrooms of two graduates of the JES New Teacher Cohort brought pure joy, witnessing the relationship between rebbi and talmidim amid lively chavrusas learning and a class game of kickball.

Dr. Insel affably welcomed JES to Torah Institute, sharing her concern about the ongoing need for more teachers. Case in point, this principal is brushing up on fifth-grade math until the math teacher returns from maternity leave. A former New Teacher Cohort member reached out to schedule one-on-one coaching.  What stood out most, however, was the respect shown by the rabbeim for guests of the yeshiva.

Our community is fortunate to have so many different institutions catering to Baltimore’s diverse student population. Each visit was a reminder that Baltimore’s schools, alive with dedication, warmth and learning, are directly impacted by JES.  JES responds to each school’s individual needs, providing them with the resources that are helpful for them. JES is proud to support and celebrate the Jewish education community—not only with snacks, but with the ongoing resources, professional development, teacher appreciation and encouragement that help teachers flourish.